Erdoğan agree Turkey will help clear mines in Ukrainian ports

Denys Karlovskyi - Wednesday, 1 June 2022, 19:22

Russian Minister of External Affairs Sergey Lavrov has claimed that the Kremlin has given prior consent for Turkey to help to clear Ukrainian ports of mines.

Source: The Russian News Agency "TASS" with Lavrov's statement at a press-conference in Saudi Arabia.

Lavrov’s direct speech: "A conversation (between the Russian President Vladimir Putin - ed.) and President (of Turkey Recep Tayyip - ed.) Erdoğan has resulted in an agreement that our Turkish colleagues will try to help to organise the demining of Ukrainian seaports in order to release ships which were technically taken hostage together with cargo needed in developing countries.

Details: Lavrov said this agreement stipulates that Ukraine will not use the demining process to strengthen its military capability and will not disrupt the Russian navy.

Background: 

• On 31 May Lavrov stated that the Russian military fleet would allow for safe passage of Ukrainian grain ships if Ukraine solved the demining issue.

• On Monday 30 May Putin and Erdoğan had a telephone conversation in which Erdoğan offered to hold a tripartite meeting between Ukraine, Russia and the UN in Istanbul. 

• Earlier Erdoğan called President Zelenskyy and shared his idea. The Office of the President has commented that Zelenskyy is ready to meet in tripartite format in Turkey, if Putin is ready for it.